Torihime
by Noir Chandler
Summary: Her determination, her selflessness. Everything about Amu amazes me. I felt ecstatic, when I saw her laughing and smiling again after a long time. Her birds tweet happily as she strokes their heads. And then I realized, I loved her even more.


Here's a little oneshot for all those Tadamu fans. I've always wanted to try making one of these Fluff pieces, so I decided to go ahead and try. I hope you enjoy my little story. This story is dedicated to birds, marvelous creatures that, just like Amu, never ceases to amaze me.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Shugo Chara! characters.

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><p><strong>Torihime (Bird Princess)<strong>

Feathers.

Wings.

A huge gathering of birds.

A pinkette sitting in the midst of them.

This is all that I've been thinking of for the past weeks. Amu, my dearest of friends, has never ceased to amaze me. I remember the time when she finally turned 16. It was a very bitter-sweet day for her, and indirectly, me. I can remember how she smiled at me when I gave her a golden bracelet with playing card symbols for charms.

Oh how much I relished that smile she gave me. I also remember how happy everyone else was. Yaya was there, Rima was there, Nagihiko, Kukai, Kairi, and even Ikuto. They were all there to celebrate Amu Hinamori's birthday. I guess they were all so enthralled about the birthday party's festivity that they failed to notice the small frown Amu had during the entire celebration. Only I noticed this.

"_Amu? What's wrong? Are you not pleased with your party_?"

"_No, it's wonderful. Just…wonderful_."

"_Amu, I know there's something going on. Please, tell me_."

"…_They're gone_."

It was then that I noticed. Amu's shugo charas, all four of them, were nowhere to be found. I looked around, my mahogany gaze exploring every nook and cranny of Amu's living room. But I did not see a single one of Amu's charas. She explained, with the slightest hint of sob, that they upped and disappeared the day before her birthday. Not even their eggs were left. My mind wondered as I thought about Amu's shugo charas. I could remember Ran's pink pompoms, Mikki's hat that hid her hair, Suu's cute maid outfit, and Dia's cheerful voice.

It was hard to imagine that Amu's closest friends would up and disappear. But she was getting older, and it was to be expected that her charas would disappear. In fact, I was surprised she was able to keep them for so long. Even Kiseki, my own chara, disappeared two years ago. Amu was probably the last of my friends to lose her shugo charas. And then I remembered her face. She, with those dazzling honey-gold eyes of hers, looked at me quite dejectedly but smiled at me nonetheless.

"_It was their time to go anyway…_"

And then she amazed me again when her sister, Ami, was involved in a car accident. I remember how Amu kept smiling happily at her little sister, how she kept telling Ami to get well soon so that they could play again. Amu never stopped visiting her sister every day. She never stopped telling Ami that all the pain would go away. And she kept singing lullabies to her sister, never stopping her song until her little sister heaved her final breath.

"_Ami-chan…May you reach heaven safely._"

I was there with her when Ami died and I saw how Amu was fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill on her face. Ami would never know that her big sister was crying for her. She would only know that Amu was there for her and smiling with her. It was only when we were asked to exit the room did Amu finally collapse from sadness. I caught her in my arms and just stood there in the hallway, silently consoling her as my close friend cried onto my chest, her hands clenching my shirt tightly.

"_I….I promised her we'd get ice cream when she'd get out of the hospital…..She had so much to live for…._" Was all I could hear her say beneath all that sobbing and weeping. After the funeral, Amu became awfully quiet. She didn't talk much when me and the rest of the Guardians would gather for the occasional tea parties. She would just stare off into space, a distant, hollow look in those once bright eyes of hers.

And then I saw her one day.

It was a sunny afternoon during summer break. I had decided to drop by the park to get some fresh air. Not a lot of people were there that day, so it was awfully quiet. I spent a good hour just sitting on a bench, listening to the sounds of the park's river and the chirping of the birds. Then I realized, the chirping seemed awfully loud and plentiful. I turned around and saw the source of all the chirping.

There was a huge variety of birds flocked around a huge fountain. Never had I seen so many different birds in one place. There were Barn Swallows, Redstarts, Finches, and even a few Starlings. How beautiful that sight was. And then I saw her. Nearly covered with the birds resting on her arms and lap, I saw Amu whispering to the feathery animals. "_Do you know? The Guardians and I used to get into heaps of trouble. Honestly, it was a very hectic lifestyle, but I miss those days…_" I heard her tell a young starling. The bird shivered slightly and chirped quite excitedly, almost as if it were laughing an agreement.

I didn't dare call out her name. I feared that if I did, her happy expression would disappear again and that I'd see that sad, wistful gaze of hers again. And so I merely sat there, happily admiring the pinkette's conversation with the birds. When Amu got up to go home, all the birds flew away, leaving only a cluster of feathers scattered on the ground as a proof of their presence. I came to the park for the rest of the summer, watching Amu happily talk to the birds. Every day, at around three in the afternoon, Amu would come to the park. And when she did, the birds would be quick to gather around her. When she'd leave at five, the birds would also leave, quickly flying off into the distance. At one time, I met Nagihiko whilst I was doing my routinely visit to the park. I explained to him what I had been doing and he looked at Amu quite happily. When he spoke, I could tell he was just as happy as I was on knowing Amu's newfound happiness.

"Ah, yes. I too have seen her. She's quite happy nowadays."

"Isn't that wonderful? I've never seen her so happy in quite a while."

"Indeed. I've also noticed that birds seem to be attracted to Amu-chan."

Nagihiko let out a small chuckle, his amber eyes glimmering with amusement. "Yes, what a noble woman she is." he said. I looked at him a bit confusedly. Why, of all words, call Amu noble? The purple-haired boy seemed to have read my mind and wagged a finger at me, clicking his tongue in a form of scolding.

"You're an aristocrat, but you don't understand how these things work, do you?" he said, "The way a small animal follows a lady shows how high and noble she is. When a cat follows a lady, it indicates she's a good housewife. A lady who can command a proud hunting dog with just a word is worthy of being the mistress of a mansion." Then his eyes wondered onto Amu, his gaze softening. He bent down to pick up a small feather before he continued.

"As for birds, endless patience and sweetness is required. Besides, those little fellows have wings, so they can escape anytime. That is why, for centuries, princesses and queens have always had birds for partners. Only they seem to have what it takes to tame these free spirits." My eyes widened as I listened to him explain. I turned my attention on Amu and realized he was right. Usually, when a human would go too near to a bird, it would immediately fly away. Often birds would tend to keep away from humans.

But not these birds. They didn't seem the slightest bit afraid or weary of Amu. When she'd move a bit, they would simply adjust to give her room. When she'd lift a hand, more than four birds would squabble with each other to perch on it. I was so entranced with the fact that Amu was so happy, I had forgotten about the way these birds should have reacted. Nagihiko laughed at me when he saw my expression.

"A lotus blossom that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all."

"What?"

"You don't meet a girl like her every century, Tadase-kun. She's very special."

With a somewhat mischievous wink, Nagihiko turned and headed out of the park, leaving me to ponder on what he meant. "I've never been good at deciphering Nagihiko's riddles." I sighed. Just then, the voice I had longed to hear again called me.

"Tadase-kun? What are you doing here?"

I locked gazes with Amu, my mahogany eyes staring into her honey-gold ones. Even her birds had turned to look at me, their many gazes making me feel nervous. I cleared my throat. I did not want to stammer when I'd reply. "I was just dropping by to ad-admire the lovely s-scenery of the park. It's quite refreshing, actually." I said. Well, so much for not stammering. Amu looked at me a bit longer before she smiled.

"The trees _are_quite lovely, aren't they? Come, sit with me and my friends." She shooed a few birds away before patting a new, empty spot next to her.

I hesitated. I didn't like the way the birds were looking of me. Was it dislike? Jealousy? But Amu's warm look made my body respond on its own. I found myself seated by Amu before I even realized it. "So, do you come here often?" she asked, her head tilted to the side.

"Almost every day. As I said previously, the scenery in this park was quite lovely and I wanted to see it more often."

"I come here often as well. My birds are quite fun to be around. They always keep me company."

"I can see that. How long have you known your…um…friends?"

Amu looked away, her mind seeming to ponder on a suitable answer. "I think it was a week before summer vacation. I was sitting out on my terrace, drinking some milk after a nice bath, when I saw a little nightingale perch not too far from me." she said, offering a dainty finger for the said nightingale to perch on. "This little guy visited me every night and one afternoon, right after school, he led me here to where the other birds were. They helped me fill the void that was in my heart and I'm really happier than I was before."

I smiled at her. I loved the way she was now. I loved the way how her smile was infectious, how it made me smile. To put it simply, I just loved her. I guess I never really did stop loving her. She noticed me looking at her happily and turned away, her cheeks becoming a rosy red. Her birds noticed it as well and seemed to glare at me. I gulped silently. If looks could kill, then those birds might've already killed me for the umpteenth time.

"Um…would you like to try?"

My thoughts of killer birds were interrupted by her voice. I looked at Amu and nearly fell off of the ledge when my face nearly collided with a yellow beak. "Why don't you try petting Kyo? My little nightingale is quite the gentleman." Amu said, her nightingale staring at me from its perch on the pinkette's finger. Unlike most of the birds, the male nightingale's gaze was relatively calm and understanding. "Go on." I heard Amu said.

I leaned over and stroked Kyo's feathery head gently with a finger. "How soft…" I gasped delightedly. I had never in my life touched a bird, and I never expected that their feathers were so soft. Kyo twisted his head and gently rubbed against my touch. He let out a small trill and fluffed his feathers up a bit. "He likes you…" Amu grinned widely at the sight. She turned her honey-gold gaze towards the other birds and nodded at them. "Come on, guys. Tadase-kun's a nice person." Her voice was soft, but every bird that had gathered around her quieted down when she spoke.

Their eyes were set on me again, but this time they were gentler. Some were still a bit skeptical, but the birds seemed to have immediately forgotten about their dislike towards me a few minutes ago. All because of Amu. One by one, birds started perching on me, on my shoulders, on my lap, some even perched on my head. Their chirps, trills and whistles were friendlier and warmer than before and some even pecked at me playfully.

"You're really amazing, Amu-chan."

"W-w-what? Wh-what's with the compliment all of a sudden?"

"I just wanted you to know. You've been so strong despite what's happened these past years."

"O-oh..It was nothing..really. I truthfully wouldn't have made it if my friends weren't there for me."

I stifled a small chuckle when Amu blushed a darker shade of red. "I especially want to thank you, Tadase-kun. You were the one who was there by my side most of all. I'm very grateful to know someone as great as you are." she confessed. That's when it happened. I couldn't really explain why I did it, but it felt so right. The feeling of my arms gently squeezing her body, my head, resting on her shoulder, her strawberry scent filling my every being as I inhaled.

Paradise.

She let out a surprised squeak, and her birds fluttered here and there to avoid being trapped in my hug. "T-t-t-tadase?" she gasped. She tried squirming a bit, but I stopped her with a gentle squeeze. "Amu, remember the time when I told you I'd always be there for you? How I said I'd always be by your side no matter who you'd choose to love?" I didn't wait for her to respond. "Not a single bit of the love I had for you then has decreased over the years. I love you just as much as I did before….No…I love you _more _than I did before."

Her birds let out somewhat surprised trills and chirps as I kept my firm, but gentle hold on Amu. "You have never ceased to amaze me, Amu Hinamori. Whether it was your real shyness, your determination to help others, your selflessness, you have always amazed me. You are an amazing woman. You are as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside, my beloved. And now, your warm, loving aura has even attracted these birds, creatures that have often shied away from human contact."

I broke the hug, but my hands grasped Amu's hands. I was blushing, furiously blushing in fact. I was afraid that she'd get mad at me, think I was a pervert or something. But then she leaned forward and planted kiss on my cheek. It was light as a feather, but its impact on me was like a stone thrown into a still pool. I looked at her, wide-eyed, and saw that she was smiling warmly at me.

"Silly boy, how could I ever forget your love? _Why_ would I forget your love?"

"I guess I was just being paranoid."

Amu giggled, a few joyful tears in her eyes made them sparkle under the afternoon sun. "You always were a worrywart, Ouji-san." she joked, emphasizing the "Ouji" part. If we still had our Shugo Charas, I would've changed into my egoistical, confident other side and caused a ruckus. But we didn't have them anymore, so I just chuckled. "Nice try, my little Torihime. But that won't work on me anymore." I laughed. She laughed with me and we sat there, laughing without a care in the world. Eventually, the birds joined in as well, their chirps lightening the mood.

"So….does this mean we're…you know…going out now?"

"If you want it us to be, yes. I'd love that more in the world, Amu-koi."

"Then the feeling's mutual, Tadase-koi."

We leaned forward and both shared a short, but nonetheless passionate kiss. I'd be looking forward to hugging and kissing her more in the future. Who knows? I might even hear wedding bells in the future. But for the moment, all I could think about was Amu. My sweet, loving Amu.

"So, you want some ice cream?"

I nodded. She smiled. "Vanilla?" she asked, though her voice showed it was more of a statement. "Of course." I said. With our hands intertwined with the others, we walked down to the ice cream stand, a flock of birds following in our wake. Amidst all the chirps the birds made, all I could think of now was Amu, my Torihime.

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><p>Hope you liked it! Don't forget to rate and review, I'd really appreciate it.<p> 


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